Government Will Aliri Electricity 5,700 Villages, Academics Welcome Minister Bahlil's Positive Plan

JAKARTA A number of energy experts from East Kalimantan assessed that the steps taken by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia, which targets the electricity grid to reach 5,700 villages by 2030, are strategic and realistic steps. This target is considered in line with the agenda of the Prabowo Subianto Government Gibran Rakabuming Raka to strengthen national energy independence.

Energy researcher from the Balikpapan Oil and Gas Technology College (STTT MIgas), Dr. Andi Jumardi said that there are still thousands of villages that have not been electrified as a big challenge for the government, including in the East Kalimantan region known as the national energy barn.

"East Kalimantan is a place for energy barns but there are still areas that have not received electricity. The problem is because the area is difficult to reach, so there needs to be a local energy source to meet the needs of the community," said Andi, Thursday, October 17.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2024, there are 75,753 villages in Indonesia. Of these, Minister Bahlil said there were 5,700 or about 7.5 percent of the total villages in the country that had not yet been electrified. The government also targets all villages to get access to electricity by 2030.

Therefore Andi assessed that the government's policy of starting to focus on distributing electricity to remote villages is a positive step that should be appreciated and is part of the big agenda of self-sufficiency in energy as stated in Asta Cita Pemerintahan Prabowo Gibran. According to him, self-sufficiency in energy does not only stop at the production sector, but must also touch the final user level.

"In Asta Cita, self-sufficiency in energy is related to downstreaming. So far, the downstream sector has not touched the end user. The government's target now is to reach the point where energy users are, so that people really feel the results," he said.

Meanwhile, Mulawarman University Public Policy Expert, Dr. Saipul, M.Si., said that the village electrification target is not only a matter of infrastructure development, but also a manifestation of the government's seriousness in achieving energy security. According to him, the government is on the right track by making energy a priority in the Asta Cita of the new government.

"When we talk about self-sufficiency in energy, it is parallel to the term energy security. The government has now made it a national priority, it's just a matter of how we measure and make it happen in the field," said Saipul.

He explained, Indonesia needs to refer to the four main indicators of energy security, namely availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability so that electrification policies do not stop at the discourse level. Energy must be available, accessible, affordable, and accepted by the community environmentally. That's the essence," he said.

Saipul assessed that the target set by Minister Bahlil was still within realistic limits as long as it was supported by valid data, careful planning, and clear responsibilities sharing between agencies. He assessed that local governments and large companies in each region must play an active role in supporting this program.

Furthermore, Saipul emphasized that the current availability of electricity has become a basic need, in line with education services and internet access. Digital transformation cannot run without electricity. The government must provide these two things, because if not, we will be left behind from other countries that have transformed towards the digital era," he said.

Meanwhile, the Economist of Mulawarman University, Purwadi Purwoharsojo, called the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources' move as part of a service-oriented public policy. He assessed that as a state-owned business entity, PLN must have the courage to invest more in the 3T region so that the ideals of equalizing energy can be realized.

"This is a good goal, but it must be concrete in the field. PLN must have the courage to invest because they have a responsibility as a public service. Don't wait for the private sector to enter before moving," said Purwadi.